Tool for sealing end of tubing

ABSTRACT

The specification discloses a tool for temporarily sealing the end of tubing used in the construction of residential housing and buildings to allow the tubing to be tested for water leaks. The end of the tubing is crimped at a position close to but spaced from its end which is maintained open during the crimping process to form an open ended trough which then is filled with molten solder. The tool comprises a pair of movable members pivotally coupled together and having jaw portions with crimping means extending from one side thereof. A pair of handles are pivotally coupled to the opposite ends of the movable members for moving the jaw portions and the crimping means apart for allowing the end of a tube to be received between the crimping means and the jaw portions and for moving the jaw portions and the crimping means together for crimping the tube at a position close to but spaced from its end. A mandrel is carried by the tool and has an end portion located between the jaw portions for insertion into the end of the tube to maintain the end of the tube open when it is being crimped.

United States Patent 1191 Miller 1 Mar. 25, 1975 TOOL FOR SEALING ENDOF'TUBING [76] Inventor: Jess Miller, 1206 Valley View,

Arlington, Tex. 76013 [22] Filed: Jan. 10, 1974 [21] Appl. N0.: 432,354

Primary Examiner-C. W. Lanham Assistant Examiner-Gene P. CrosbyAttorney, Agent, or Firn r-Wofford, Felsman, Fails & Zobal [57] ABSTRACTThe specification discloses a tool for temporarily sealing the end oftubing used in the construction of residential housing and buildings toallow the tubing to be tested for water leaks. The end of the tubing iscrimped at a position close to but spaced from its end which ismaintained open during the crimping process to form an open ended troughwhich then is filled with molten solder. The tool comprises a pair ofmovable members pivotally coupled together and having jaw portions withcrimping means extending from one side thereof. A pair of handles arepivotall coupled to the opposite ends of the movable members for movingthe jaw portions and the crimping means apart for allowing the end of atube to be received between the crimping means and the jaw portions andfor moving the jaw portions and the crimping means together for crimpingthe tube at a position close to but spaced from its end. A mandrel iscarried by the tool and has an end portion located between the jawportions for insertion into the end of the tube to maintain the end ofthe tube open when it is being crimped.

7 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures TOOL FOR SEALING END OF TUBING BACKGROUND OFTHE INVENTION This invention relates to a process for temporarily andeffectively sealing the end of tubing and a simple and effective toolfor carrying out the sealing process.

In the construction of residential housing and small buildings withconcrete slab type floors, copper tubing is buried in the concrete forwater supply connections and is stubbed up at various places when theplumbing is roughed in". It is necessary to temporarily seal the tubingat each place where it is stubbed up so that the system can be testedunder normal city water pressure for leaks prior to pouring the concreteto form the slab foundation.

In the conventional sealing process, a pliers-like tool is employed tosimply pinch or crimp the upper edge of the tubing to form a seam. Afterthe tubing has been crimped, the upper marginal portions of the seam aresoldered. In carrying out this process, however, it is difficult toobtain a reliable seal that will not leak or blow out when normal waterpressure is applied. The problem is thought to be due to two factors.First, the conduit at its upper end, is ordinarily cut off with a rollerdisc type cutter which tends to leave a small in wardly extending burr.This burr prevents a good seam from being formed when the tubing iscrimped at its upper end. Also, since the seam is at the extreme upperend of the tubing, difficulty is experienced in applying the solder tothe seam.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the object of the present invention toprovide a method of reliably sealing the end of tubing and a simple andeffective tool for use for carrying out the sealing process.

In the sealing process, the tube is crimped at a posi tion close to butspaced from its end while the end of the tube is maintained open to forman open ended trough. Molten metal, such as solder, then is applied intothe trough to form an effective seal.

The tool comprises a pair of movable members including jaw portions withcrimping means adapted to be moved apart for receiving the end of thetube and to be moved together for crimping the tube at a position closeto but spaced from its end. A pair of handles are coupled to the membersfor moving the jaw portions apart and together. In addition, a mandrelis carried by the tool and has an end portion located between the jawportions for insertion into the end of the tube to maintain the end ofthe tube open when it is being crimped.

In a further aspect, the tool comprises a pair of mov able members, eachincluding a rear end and a jaw portion at an opposite end thereof. Eachjaw portion includes crimping means extending from one side thereof.Pivot means is provided for supporting the movable members for pivotalmovement for allowing the jaw portions and crimping means to be movedapart and together. The pair of handles have first ends pivotallycoupled together and to the rear ends of the movable membersrespectively.

In another aspect, the mandrel has a rear end opposite its end portionand which includes an elongated slot means formed therethrough. Pivotmeans extends through the elongated slot means and through the firstends of the handles for pivotally coupling the first ends of the handlestogether and for maintaining the end portion of the mandrel centeredbetween the jaw portions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates the end of a tubeto be temporarily sealed;

FIG. 2 illustrates the end ofa tube temporarily sealed in accordancewith a prior technique;

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate the sequence of steps employed for sealingtheend ofa tube in accordance with the present invention;

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the tool of the present invention employed inthe process of crimping a tube at a position close to but spaced fromits end;

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the tool of FIGS. 5 and 6; and

FIG. 8 is a modified component of the tool of FIGS. 5-7.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated ashort piece of copper tubing 21 which has been stubbed up in theconstruction of residential housing or small buildings. as mentionedabove, but which has not been sealed. The copper tubing may beconventional tubing having a diameter of /2 inch, inch, or 1 inch. FIG.2 illustrates the tubing of FIG. 1 which has been temporarily sealed inthe conventional manner. In this sealing process, a pliers-like tool isutilized to simply pinch or crimp the upper end or edge 21a of thetubing to form a seam 23 which completely closes the opening 21b. Afterthe tubing has been pinched and the seam 23 formed, the upper marginalportion of the seam is soldered. This sealing technique isunsatisfactory for the reasons mentioned above.'

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Referring now to FIGS. 3-8 of thedrawings, there will be described the process and tool of the present invention for sealing the end of tubing. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, inthe present sealing process, the tube 21 is pinched or crimped at aposition close to but spaced from its end 21a to form the seam 25.Crimping may be carried out at a distance of about one-half inch fromthe upper end of the tube. During crimping, the end 21a of the tube 21is held open and prevented from entirely collapsing to form a trough210. After the tube 21 has been crimped at 25 and the trough 210 formed,molten solder 27 is poured into the trough to seal the end of thetubing. The seam 25 prevents the molten solder from flowing downwardwhile it hardens. Since there are no burrs within the tubing at the areawhere it is crimped, a neat, burr-free seam is provided by the crimpingoperation. Moreover, the resulting trough formed provides a Zone forholding a generous quantity of solder along the seam whereby a veryeffective seal may be formed. After the tubing system has been testedfor leaks, the upper end of the tube may be cut off below the seam 25 toallow connection to the plumbing.

Referring now to FIGS. 5-7, there will be described the crimping tool ofthe present invention for crimping tubing to form the configurationillustrated in FIG. 3. The tool comprises a pair of movable members, 31and 33, pivotally coupled together by a bolt 35a and having jaw portions37 and 39 at one end with crimping means 41 and 43 extending therefromand which project inward toward each other. The members 31 and 33 haveinwardly extending tab portions 45 and 47 through which the bolt 35aextends to space the jaw portions 37 and 39 apart to form a zone 49therebetween.

Pivotally coupled to the other ends of the members 31 and 35 are twohandles 51 and 53 which may be moved apart to move the jaw portions 37and 39 apart, as illustrated in FIG. 5, and which may be moved togetherto close the jaw portions, as illustrated in FIG. 6. Secured t the toolis a mandrel 49 having a narrowed or pointed end portion 51 whichextends into the zone 49 formed between the jaw portions 37 and 39. Theend portion 51 may be elliptical shaped in cross section, as illustratedin FIG. 7, or may be cone shaped, as illustrated at 51 in FIG. 8. Thetip of the end portion 51 extends to a position short of the crimpingmembers 41 and 43, as illustrated in FIG. 6. In the crimping process,the handles 51 and 53 are moved apart to open the jaws of the toolwhereby the end of the tube 21 may be received between the crimpingmembers 41 and 43 and received into the zone 49 between the jaw portions35 and 37. In this position, the end 51 of the mandrel 49 will belocated within the open end of the tube 21 and the crimping members 41and 43 will be located at a position close to but spaced from the end ofthe tube. The handles 51 and 53 may then be moved together, therebyallowing the crimping members 41 and 43 to pince 0r crimp the tube at aposition close to but spaced from its end. At the same time, the pointedend portion 51 of the mandrel prevent the end of the tube fromcollapsing and hence maintains the end of the tube open to form thetrough portion 210, as illustrated in FIG. 3. If the mandrel has aconical shaped end 51 as illustrated in FIG. 8, the configuration of thetrough will be different from that shown in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 7, there will be described in more detail the tool ofthe present invention. As illustrated, the mandrel 49 is a bifurcatedmember having two spaced and parallel arms 61 and 63 extending from theend portion 51. Formed through the arms 61 and 63 are two aligned andelongated slots 65 and 67 and two aligned apertures 69 and 71 locatedbetween the slots and the end 51. The tab portion 45 of member 31 has anaperture 45a formed therethrough while the tab portion 47 of member 33comprises two spaced tabs 47a and 47b. Aligned apertures 47a (not shown)and 47b are formed through tabs 47a and 4712 respectively. Members 31and 33 are pivotallycoupled together and to the mandrel 49 by insertingtabs 47a and 471) between the arms 61 and 63 and by inserting tab 49abetween tabs 4711 and 47b to align the apertures of the tabs with theapertures 69 and 71 of arms 61 and 63. Bolt 35:: then is insertedthrough the aligned apertures of the tabs and arms and secured in placewith a nut 35);.

The handles 51 and 53 have end portions 51a and 53a which are pivotallycoupled together and to the movable members 31 and 33 respectively. Asillustrated, the end 51a of handle 51 has two spaced flat end portions81 and 83 which have a pair of outwardly located and aligned apertures81:! and 83a formed therethrough and a pair of inwardly located andaligned apertures 81b and 8312 (not shown) formed therethrough. The end53:: of handle 53 also has single flat end portion 85 which has anoutwardly located aperture 85a and an inwardly located aperture 85bformed therethrough. The member 31 has a flat end portion 91 with anaperture 91a formed therethrough and which is adapted to be fittedbetween the end portions 81 and 83 of the handle 51. The member 33 hastwo spaced flat end portions 93 and 95 which have aligned apertures 93a(not shown) and 950 formed therethrough. The handle-51 is pivotallycoupled to member 31 by inserting flat end portion 91 of member 31between the flat end portions 81 and 83 of handle 51 to align apertures81a, 91a, and 83a Bolt 101a is then inserted through the alignedapertures and secured in place by nut 10112. Handle 53 is pivotallycoupled to member 33 by inserting the outward portion of flat endportion of handle 53 between the flat end portions 93 and of member 33to align apertures 93a, 85a, and 95a. Bolt 103a then is inserted throughthe aligned apertures and secured in place by nut 1031). The handles 51and 53 are pivotally secured together and to the mandrel 49 by insertingthe inward portion of the flat end portions 81 and 83 of handle 51between arms 61 and 63 and then inserting the inward portion of flat endportion 85 of handle 53 between the end portions 81 and 83 of handle 51to align apertures 8312,85b, and 81b together and with elongated slots65 and 67. A bolt 105 then is inserted through these aligned aperturesand slots and secured in place with a nut. With this arrangement, thebolt 105 may move up and down within the slots 65 and 67 as the handlesare moved to their open and closed positions whereby the slots 65 and 67act as guides to maintain the end portion 51 of the mandrel centeredbetween the jaws 37 and 39 as the jaws are opened and closed.

I claim:

1. A tool for crimping a tube at a position close to but spaced from anend thereof and for forming an open ended trough portion at said end.comprising:

a pair of movable members including jaw members with crimping meansadapted to be moved apart for receiving the end of a tube and to bemoved together for crimping the tube at a position close to but spacedfrom its end,

a pair of handles coupled to said members for moving said jaw portionsand said crimping means apart and together, and

a mandrel carried by said tool and having an end portion located betweensaid jaw portions for insertion into the end of the tube to maintain theend of the tube open when it is being crimped.

2. The tool of claim 1 comprising:

pivot means for supporting said movable members for pivotal movement toallow said jaw portions and said crimping means to be moved apart andtogether,

said pair of movable members each including a rear end opposite its jawportion,

said pair of handles having first ends pivotally coupled together and tosaid rear ends of said movable members respectively for moving said jawportions and said crimping means, apart for allowing the end of a tubeto be received between said crimping means and said jaw portions and formoving said jaw portions and said crimping means together for crimpingthe tube at a position close to but spaced from its end.

3. The tool of claim 2 wherein:

said mandrel has a rear end opposite its end portion and which includesan elongated slot means formed therethrough, and

pivot means extending through said elongated slot means and through saidfirst ends of said handles for pivotally coupling said first ends ofsaid handles together and for maintaining said end portion of saidmandrel centered between said jaw portions.

4. The tool of claim 3 wherein:

said pivot means which supports said movable members for pivotalmovement extends through said movable members and through said mandrel.

5. The tool of claim 3 wherein:

said pivot means which supports said movable members for pivotalmovement comprises a single pivot means extending through said mandreland through said movable members,

said single pivot means is located at a position between said rear endsand said crimping means of said movable members,

said single pivot means and said pivot means which extends through saidelongated slot means define a plane which extends midway between saidtwo movable members, and

third and fourth pivot means located on opposite sides of said planerespectively, each of which pivotally couples the rear end of one ofsaid movable members to the first end of one of said handles.

6. The tool of claim 5 wherein:

said movable members include tab portions extending toward each otherwith apertures formed therethrough,

said single pivot means extends through said mandrel and through saidapertures formed through said tab portions for pivotally coupling saidmovable members together and to said mandrel.

7. The tool of claim 6 wherein said mandrel comprises:

a bifurcated member having two spaced arms extending from said endportion,

said arms having a pair of aligned elongated slots formed therethroughand a pair of aligned apertures formed therethrough,

said aligned apertures being located between said end portion and saidaligned elongated slots,

said tab portions of said movable members and said first ends of saidhandles being; located within the space formed between said two arms,

said single pivot means extends through said aligned apertures formedthrough said arms of said mandrel and through said apertures formedthrough said tab portions of said movable members for securing saidmovable members together and to said mandrel,

said pivot means which pivotally couples said first ends of said handlestogether extends through said elongated slots of said arms of saidmandrel and through said first ends of said handles.

l l =l= 1:

1. A tool for crimping a tube at a position close to but spaced from anend thereof and for forming an open ended trough portion at said end,comprising: a pair of movable members including jaw members withcrimping means adapted to be moved apart for receiving the end of a tubeand to be moved together for crimping the tube at a position close tobut spaced from its end, a pair of handles coupled to said members formoving said jaw portions and said crimping means apart and together, anda mandrel carried by said tool and having an end portion located betweensaid jaw portions for insertion into the end of the tube to maintain theend of the tube open when it is being crimped.
 2. The tool of claim 1comprising: pivot means for supporting said movable members for pivotalmovement to allow said jaw portions and said crimping means to be movedapart and together, said pair of movable members each including a rearend opposite its jaw portion, said pair of handles having first endspivotally coupled together and to said rear ends of said movable membersrespectively for moving said jaw portions and said crimping means, apartfor allowing the end of a tube to be received between said crimpingmeans and said jaw portions and for moving said jaw portions and saidcrimping means together for crimping the tube at a position close to butspaced from its end.
 3. The tool of claim 2 wherein: said mandrel has arear end opposite its end portion and which includes an elongated slotmeans formed therethrough, and pivot means extending through saidelongated slot means and through said first ends of said handles forpivotally coupling said first ends of said handles together and formaintaining said end portion of said mandrel centered between said jawportions.
 4. The tool of claim 3 wherein: said pivot means whichsupports said movable members for pivotal movement extends through saidmovable members and through said mandrel.
 5. The tool of claim 3wherein: said pivot means which supports said movable members forpivotal movement comprises a single pivot means extending through saidmandrel and through said movable members, said single pivot means islocated at a position between said rear ends and said crimping means ofsaid movable members, said single pivot means and said pivot means whichextends through said elongated slot means define a plane which extendsmidway between Said two movable members, and third and fourth pivotmeans located on opposite sides of said plane respectively, each ofwhich pivotally couples the rear end of one of said movable members tothe first end of one of said handles.
 6. The tool of claim 5 wherein:said movable members include tab portions extending toward each otherwith apertures formed therethrough, said single pivot means extendsthrough said mandrel and through said apertures formed through said tabportions for pivotally coupling said movable members together and tosaid mandrel.
 7. The tool of claim 6 wherein said mandrel comprises: abifurcated member having two spaced arms extending from said endportion, said arms having a pair of aligned elongated slots formedtherethrough and a pair of aligned apertures formed therethrough, saidaligned apertures being located between said end portion and saidaligned elongated slots, said tab portions of said movable members andsaid first ends of said handles being located within the space formedbetween said two arms, said single pivot means extends through saidaligned apertures formed through said arms of said mandrel and throughsaid apertures formed through said tab portions of said movable membersfor securing said movable members together and to said mandrel, saidpivot means which pivotally couples said first ends of said handlestogether extends through said elongated slots of said arms of saidmandrel and through said first ends of said handles.